My old pal Joe Campana has opened a new website that is already proving a daily visit for all us animation history fans. http://animationwhoandwhere@blogspot.com
Joe is a great authority of LA animation detail.He once took me through Forest Lawn and believe me, he knows where all the bodies are buried! He is preparing a book on the addresses of famous old animation and comic art personalities. I wish him good luck with his new website and look forward to his daily findings.

1886-COCA-COLA Invented. Cocaine in a wine tonic was then a popular health drink. Mark Twain and the Pope drank it. Atlanta Pharmacist and liver pill salesman John Pemberton developed the carbonated drink originally with some Cocaine in it. His bookkeeper, Francis Robinson, penned the famous script logo still in use today. Advertising for the drink claimed it cured everything from hysteria, cholic and the common cold.
The formula is still a secret. During World War Two the Nazis openly worried how a break with the United States would effect their supply of Coca Cola so Dr Goebbels arrested Coke execs in Germany and forced them to develop Fanta Cola. Fanta, the Uber-Cola!

1936-Republic Pictures formed.

1939- Moviestars Clark Gable and Carole Lombard marry. They had a happy marriage until Lombard was killed in a plane crash in 1942. It’s been said the first California King Size mattress, slightly larger than normal king size, was ordered custom made for Gable and Lombard for their rather exuberant assignations at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

1951- 'The King and I' debuts on Broadway with Gertrude Lawrence and Yul Brynner, who shaved his head for the first time for the role.

1971- First day of shooting on the film the Godfather. Francis Coppola wanted young actor Al Pacino for the Michael Corleone role but while waiting for the offer Pacino had signed with Fox to do a different film- a Mafia comedy " The Gang that Couldn't Shoot Straight". Producer Robert Evans begged and wheeled and dealed with Fox exec James Aubrey "The Smiling Barracuda" to get Pacino released from his contract. Finally Aubrey replaced him with Jerry Ohrbach-later better known as Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast. He called Evans and said:"All right, you can have the midget."

1989- As part of one of the silliest Oscar telecasts in history actor Rob Lowe (The West Wing) had to dance and sing 'Proud Mary" with a Las Vegas showgirl dressed as Disney's Snow White. Lowe had just been embarrassed by the publication of a videotape shot in a hotel room of him having sex with two teenagers. The Disney Company immediately threatened a lawsuit and the Academy apologized and replaced director Alan Carr with Gilbert Cates.